October 31, 2025 to November 2, 2025
National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター
Asia/Tokyo timezone

SDGs for Young Learners: Developing Language & Thinking

Oct 31, 2025, 2:15 PM
30m
National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター

National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター

3-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0052 / 〒151-0052 東京都渋谷区代々木神園町3-1
Research-oriented Presentation (30-minutes) Teaching Younger Learners Room 410

Speaker

Dr Eda Nur Özcan (Bursa Technical University)

Description

This study explores integrating SDGs into EFL lessons to enhance young learners’ language and critical thinking through a 12-week dialogical approach in a Turkish public school. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, improvements were observed in environmental knowledge, functional language use, and critical thinking. Learners shifted from basic descriptions to proposing solutions, demonstrating reflective and hypothetical reasoning. The findings highlight the potential of SDG-integrated instruction to foster socially responsible, environmentally aware, and linguistically competent young learners.

Summary

This presentation demonstrates how integrating SDGs into English lessons enhances young learners’ language and critical thinking through a dialogical approach. A 12-week program at a public school in Turkey showed significant improvements in critical reflection on environmental problems, alongside gains in environmental knowledge and functional language use. The findings highlight how sustainable language pedagogies can be effectively implemented across diverse educational contexts.

Teaching Context Teaching children

Author

Dr Eda Nur Özcan (Bursa Technical University)

Co-author

Prof. Esim Gürsoy (Bursa Uludağ University)

Presentation materials